Imaging devices can collect, process and store data from an external environment to generate a digital representation of the external environment. For example, a camera can capture images of the physical world and in some instances store this data in a database for later processing. Processing the digital representation of the external environment may include altering or modifying the image data with additional data.
In some embodiments, a digital representation of a real-world environment may be used to generate a digital map of this environment. For example, mounting an imaging device to a mobile platform in motion within an environment can facilitate the use of a digital map to localize the mobile platform (e.g., to determine the location of the mobile platform within the environment). For example, a mobile robot can use an imaging device to generate a map of the robot's surroundings and determine the robot's location within its environment.
In some instances, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) techniques may be applied to the image data to allow the robot to build a map of an unknown environment while simultaneously keeping track of its current location in the environment. In general, SLAM techniques address the problem of using one or more mobile platforms to construct a map of an unknown environment while using the map to estimate the location(s) of the platforms(s) within that environment and/or to navigate within the environment. Some SLAM techniques may use data from different types of sensors (in addition to or in lieu of data image data from cameras) to localize the mobile platform(s) and map the features of the environment. For example, other data from cameras and/or data from odometers, gyroscopes and depth sensors may be used.
Augmented reality (AR) systems may overlay additional elements onto a digital representation of a real-world environment. In some instances, AR systems may generate and place virtual objects in the digital representation of the real-world environment, such that digital representations of real-world physical objects and the virtual objects are displayed together.